


Place In The Universe

by Fidomom



Category: Roswell (TV 1999)
Genre: #Candy, #M&M, #MandM, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25886662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fidomom/pseuds/Fidomom
Summary: Maria needs closure.
Relationships: Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin





	Place In The Universe

**Author's Note:**

> Set around the Skin And Bone episode of season 2, after Maria said, "I miss you, Michael." and Michael advised her, "I know but don't."
> 
> ~FM :)

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. It is only loosely based on characters from the 1999-2002 tv series Roswell as I imagine they could be from different points throughout and beyond the three seasons of the show. I am not affiliated with any of the original creations nor creators from the series. I will make no monetary gains from publishing this work of fiction.

**Place In The Universe  
by _Fidomom_**  
  
Michael heard a knock at his door and checked the time in curiosity, muttering under his breath, "Must be a wrong delivery?"  
  
Michael opened the door saw who it actually was, spoke as coldly as he could, "What are you doing here, Maria? Go home.", and he tried to shut the door in her face.  
  
Maria stuck her foot in the door and insisted, "No. If you shut the door in my face, Michael, I will sing every sad love song I know, and I know over a hundred of them, and I will sing them all at top volume until the cops drag me away for disturbing your neighbours. May I please come in? Your move."  
  
Michael groaned aloud knowing she was not even bluffing and he stepped aside to let her in, saying, "Fine. Whatever. Then, I'll leave, instead."  
  
Maria thwarted that plan as well, threatening, "If you leave, I'll not only rearrange all of your Metallica CD's, I'll put them all in the wrong cases."  
  
Michael glared at her, highly offended by even the mere suggestion of such disrespectful treatment of his Metallica CD's. He bit out tersely as he closed the door and faced her, "What do you want, Maria?"  
  
Maria lifted her chin and challenged him with her eyes as she answered, "Something super simple."  
  
Michael waited expectantly looking irritated and slightly bored. He crossed his arms and prompted, "Well? What is it then?"  
  
Maria said softly, "Kiss me."  
  
Michael's brows nearly went into his hairline as he took a step back and stammered, "Excuse me? What the? No. Absolutely not."  
  
Maria said a little more confidently, "Kiss me."  
  
Michael gave her a look of baffled annoyance and repeated himself, "I said, no."  
  
Maria sighed and repeated her dare stubbornly, "Kiss me. We can do this all night, Michael, or you can just kiss me already."  
  
Michael backed away from her, crossing his arms even tighter in front of himself and declared, "I'm not kissing you. Stop saying that."  
  
Maria slowly shook her head without breaking eye contact, stood her ground and refused, repeating again, "Kiss me."  
  
Michael let out a groan of exasperation and demanded, "Why are you doing this?"  
  
Maria's eyes watered briefly but she shook it off and stated resolutely, "Let's just call it closure. Quit arguing with me and kiss me."  
  
Michael shook his head, walked past her, turned to face her again and said dismissively, "I told you, that is not happening. Just forget whatever you had in mind and go home, Maria."  
  
Maria stomped her foot impatiently and declared, "No! And if you're gonna be this stubborn, then I may as well get comfy. I'm going closet surfing for a t-shirt I can sleep in."  
  
Michael's arms uncrossed in alarm and he objected, "No! Okay, okay, so if I kiss you, that'll be the end of whatever this stunt is and you'll go home?"  
  
Maria shrugged and admitted, "That depends on you. Kiss me."  
  
Michael grit his teeth and warned, "Ugh, you're really pissing me off. Would you stop saying that?"  
  
Maria stared him down rebelliously and did the exact opposite, repeating again, "Kiss me."  
  
Michael muttered under his breath in frustration and pulled her close, their faces mere inches apart as he stated resentfully, "Whatever. If it'll shut you the hell up, fine.", and he kissed her once, hard, on the lips and then pushed her away, saying, "There. You got what you wanted, now get out."  
  
Maria blinked at him in shock, touching her fingers to her lips and she spoke quietly, "Okay. Goodnight, Michael. I love you, too.", and she hurried to the door.  
  
Michael asked in confusion, "Wait, what did you just say?"  
  
Maria had the door open a crack. She paused without turning to look at him and elaborated, "I said I love you, too. I didn't get a chance to say it back to you, when you said it and then dumped me."  
  
Michael spoke quietly and stated, "It doesn't matter, Maria. It never did. What did you think would happen, tonight?"  
  
Maria looked over her shoulder, and answered him still obviously wonderstruck, "Honestly? Nothing. I thought I'd wake up tomorrow morning in one of your t-shirts and go to school still sad and unkissed. I never said it had to be on the lips, even. Good night, Michael.", and then she left quietly.  
  
Michael raked his fingers through his hair and he muttered to the closed door, "Whatever."  
  
The next night when there was a knock on his door around the same time, Michael had his suspicions and opening the door immediately confirmed them. Maria smiled shyly at him and said, "Hi, Michael. I'm back."  
  
Michael stood in his doorway blocking her entrance and asked suspiciously, "I can see that. Why are you back?"  
  
Maria asked in awkward discomfort, "Do I need to make threats again or are you going to skip straight to the part where you invite me in?"  
  
Michael sighed heavily, rolled his eyes and stood aside to allow her in, "Whatever. Come in, then. What do you want this time, Maria?", then he closed the door once she was inside.  
  
Maria said softly, "You are going to hold me in your arms for exactly one minute."  
  
Michael pursed his lips, crossed his arms, shook his head and argued, "No, I'm not. This is getting ridiculous. Just stop it, okay?"  
  
Maria looked down at the floor and countered, "You can just give in and I can be gone in less than ninety seconds, or I can annoy you into doing it eventually which could take hours depending on if you can out stubborn me or not. So which is it? I'm out of your face in under two minutes or I be a complete pain in the ass for maybe hours?"  
  
Michael demanded irritably, "What is the point of this?"  
  
Maria stated carefully, "Like I told you last night; closure. It's not like it's gonna kill you to indulge me for one minute."  
  
Michael uncrossed his arms and motioned her toward him. He conceded, "Fine. One minute and not a second over, got it?"  
  
Maria smiled in grateful relief and agreed, "Got it. Thank-you, Michael."  
  
Michael frowned and insisted, "No, don't thank me. This is entirely under duress."  
  
Maria put her arms around Michael and when he put his arms around her, she sighed in contentmemt and mused aloud, "I've missed your hugs, Michael. I'm in my very favourite place in the universe, right now."  
  
Michael tensed in her embrace and warned, "Maria, don't. I don't want to keep hurting you."  
  
Maria tightened her embrace and said emphatically, "I don't feel hurt right now. I feel grateful. I mean yeah I wish you hadn't dumped me but I'm grateful that you exist, that you loved me and that I loved you. Thank-you, Michael. For everything good you've brought to my life. I know you think you've only brought me misery but you're wrong. You brought me this; the way I feel when I'm in my favourite place. I'm really gonna miss the sound of your heartb- "  
  
Michael whispered hoarsely, "Shut up, Maria."  
  
Maria leaned back to look at him without letting go of him and she asked in surprise, "Why? Is our minute up already?"  
  
Michael looked her in the eye and admitted, "I have no idea. I forgot to start a timer."  
  
Maria pouted in disapointment and let go of him as she backed away and offered, "Oh. Well I won't take advantage of that. Our minute is probably up, anyway. Thanks for indulging me, spaceboy. Against your earlier advice, I am going to be missing you for, well until I just don't miss you, anymore, I guess. But this helped. I won't darken your door anymore after today, but we do have some friends in common, so we can't avoid seeing each other forever. I hope you find a way to be happy someday because I happen to think that's what you deserve even if you don't agree. I'm not over you and I'm not over us, but I think I can start trying to be, now. When I feel really sad, I'll just close my eyes and remember my favourite place in the universe until I can smile, again. Goodbye, Michael.", and then she hurried toward the door already fighting a sob.  
  
She had almost closed the door behind herself when Michael wrenched it back open and called out to her, "Maria, wait!"  
  
Maria looked over her shoulder and rubbed away an escaped tear with the heel of her hand as she asked in confusion, "What for, Michael?"  
  
Michael touched her shoulder and said quietly, "Don't go. Please don't go."  
  
Maria was struggling to compose herself and she said forlornly, "But there's nothing left for me to say or do, except to just get over you."  
  
Michael shook his head and his eyes watered as he said, "No. Don't."  
  
Maria frowned at him and couldn't stop another tear from leaving her eye. She asked him, "Pardon? Are you trying to be cruel to me right now?"  
  
Michael firmly grasped her upper arm and pulled her back inside his apartment, shutting the door behind himself as he matched his actions with words, "Get back in here."  
  
Maria looked at him in hurt confusion and asked him, "Michael, why are you being like this now? You're the one who dumped-"  
  
Michael put his thumb against her mouth and interrupted, "I made a mistake. A huge mistake. I can't do it, Maria. I can't let go of you. I don't want you to ever get over me and I'm tired of making you sad. Tell me you forgive me for being such a monumental jackass and take me back. Please?"  
  
Maria stared at him and slowly moved his hand away from her mouth. She challenged him, "Kiss me."  
  
Michael nodded emphatically and vowed, "As many times as you want, just say you'll take me back."  
  
Maria tested him further, "Hold me."  
  
Michael nodded again and agreed, "That, too; as long as you want, anytime you want, just tell me you can forgive me and that you'll take me back."  
  
Maria sniffle laughed and nodded as she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. She agreed to his terms, "Okay. I forgive you. You are no longer single, spaceboy; you're mine again."  
  
Michael wrapped his arms tightly around her, closed his eyes and breathed out in relief as he exclaimed, "Yes! I love you. I mean it. I really, really love you, Maria."  
  
Maria turned her face into his neck and quietly said, "Ditto."  
  
Michael frowned and pouted a little. He lightly squeezed her side and asked, "Just ditto is all I'm gonna get, this time?"  
  
Maria chuckled, shook her head and rephrased, "I love you, too, Michael."  
  
Michael caressed her hair and kissed her temple then vowed, "I'll say it a lot if you will, too."  
  
Maria leaned back and looked him in the eye with a flirtatious smile on her lips as she declared, "Yeah, that deal is going to need to be sealed the right way."  
  
Michael dead panned in mock innocence, "So like, with a pinky promise?"  
  
Maria fought a laugh and glared at him as she ordered, "Kiss me."  
  
Michael caressed her lips with his thumb, then admitted, "For what it's worth you are my favourite place in the universe, too, I just couldn't find the words for it until you gave them to me.", and he finally kissed her softly and briefly on the lips.  
  
Maria smiled adoringly up at him and revealed, "That's what I hoped right to the very last second."  
  
Michael's brows knit together in curiosity and he asked her, "So why did you do all of this? I mean the way you did it."  
  
Maria sheepishly admitted, "I was crying on Liz's shoulder about us again and she asked me to decide what I wanted to dwell on from the experience of dating you, if I could never get you back.  
  
I started thinking of us and realised there were things I wanted to do just one more time or say that I never got to say at all because things ended so abruptly. I didn't get a chance to fully appreciate our last hug and kiss and I just wanted one more hug and kiss and to tell you that it wasn't unrequited love.  
  
The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if maybe you wanted that, too. I knew you'd never bring it up, even if it were true and that you'd probably never admit it to me, even if I straight up asked you, so I decided not to ask. I decided to see if I could bully you into admitting it."  
  
Michael nodded in approval and said as much, "Good call. You were right. I wouldn't have asked you nor admitted to it on my own."  
  
Maria smiled a little smugly and further confessed, "I only started to hope that maybe instead of closure on our break up, doing this might help us reconcile, when I saw the look on your face when I threatened to spend the night wearing your t-shirt."  
  
Michael shrugged, and nodded, not denying it and then he shared a confession of his own, "And I already knew I was probably gonna beg you take me back the second you threatened my Metallica CD collection; only someone who really knows me, would even know that that would ever work as a threat. I hadn't realised I had let you know me to that extent. I don't let a lot of people in, actually no one besides Maxwell and Isabel and now you. I figured since I had let you in that far without even realising it, that already makes you uniquely special to me; that maybe I better not be so quick to dismiss the significance of that."  
  
Maria pouted at him and complained, "Michael! If you knew you wanted me back, then why were you so stubborn and why did you make me try so hard?"  
  
Michael opened and closed his mouth a few times looking a bit guilty before he finally defended, "I guess because I'm still struggling with the danger I pose to you, Maria. I'm still worried about it but I'm not going to use it as an excuse to hurt you anymore, or myself, either for that matter. That and I wanted to make sure that you were really sure you wanted to be with me. When you were talking to me during that one minute, I came so close to kissing you silent but I still wasn't sure what your intentions were, so I didn't shut you up how I really wanted to."  
  
Maria hugged him again and rubbed his back as she pointed out, "That would have sped up this outcome, that's for sure. I do actually like it when you kiss me to shut me up, by the way. Why do you think I babble and ramble on so much? I'm just trying to annoy you into seducing me. Obviously."  
  
Michael snorted in amusement and informed her, "It's very effective, but not because it annoys me."  
  
Maria leaned back to look at him in surprise and she asked, "Oh? Then why?"  
  
He leaned forward and motioned for her to turn her head so he could whisper in her ear, "Because the sound of your voice turns me on, Maria. Sometimes it's really inconvenient, even."  
  
Maria turned her gaze to his quickly, a slight blush rising to her cheeks and the hint of a smile on her lips as she flirted, "Oh. I'll umm have to keep that in mind."  
  
Michael kissed her neck and her ear and encouraged, "Yeah, you do that. And keep on using it against me. A lot. I can handle being inconvenienced by you, anytime at all."  
  
Maria kissed his mouth slowly several times in a row and propositioned him between each one, "So are we gonna make out now, or have I actually converted you into being into all this relationship talk stuff?"  
  
Michael openly scoffed and apologised, "Sorry, Maria but that conversion may take years if it ever happens at all..Obviously, I'd rather make out with you than talk or just about anything else, either, really. It's just I do have one question for you. It's something you said that's been bugging me, pretty much ever since you said it. I figure we're still talking now so I might as well mention it."  
  
Maria was clearly intrigued and she prompted him to elaborate, "Okay, what is it, Michael? Ask me."  
  
He frowned at her in confusion and asked earnestly, "Do you really think my body is gross?"  
  
Maria let out a short burst of a laugh and questioned him more, "What? Oh, you mean the desert thing when you almost died on me? No, Michael, of course I don't. The sweat was gross, yes, and so was that cocoon stuff, but your body? Definitely not. How could my favourite place in the universe ever be gross to me?"  
  
Michael heaved a visible and audible sigh of relief, "Okay good, because that is the one time you really shook my confidence in this mutual attraction thing that's always been there betweeen us. I couldn't figure out how both things could be true because I know you aren't a liar and that you don't usually say mean things, either. Now I get it."  
  
Maria held his face between her palms and looked him in the eye as she apologised, "I really had no idea you had misunderstood what I'd meant and that it still bothered you even all this time, later. I'll make that up to you, tonight, spaceboy."  
  
Michael lightly held her wrist, rubbing his thumb across her pulse point as he pretended to pout,"I don't know, Maria, it's been festering, it might take a lot to make me feel better."  
  
Maria's eyebrow twitched suggestively and she smiled sweetly at him as she clarified, "I meant all night, Michael. My Mom left town for a few days, thinking I was safe being unsupervised since we've been broken up for a while, now. She won't be back until day after tomorrow."  
  
Michael's mouth opened slightly in surprise and then he commented in obvious pleasure, "All night? Huh. I'm going to have to hold you to that."  
  
Maria grinned at him, kissed him once lingeringly on the lips and then assured him, "I think you know full well, I'm good for it."  
  
Michael gave up his pretense otherwise, shrugged and nodded as he admitted, "Yeah, I know you are. I'm counting on it. Come back here with those, you. I'm pretty sure I haven't kissed you properly in like decades."  
  
Maria feigned a dramatic pout, then and corrected him, "More like centuries, spaceboy."  
  
Michael played along looking very concerned as he leaned in to kiss her, "Right? So tragic. We're gonna have to make up for that. Definitely an all night long task.", and then he kissed her several times in a row.  
  
Between his kisses, Maria consented to his plans,"Sounds good to me. Let's make up, all night long, Michael."  
  
Michael's hands roamed up and down her body over her clothes as he nuzzled her neck and he suggested, "You can go ahead and bully me, some more, too. I really really liked that."  
  
Maria breathlessly ordered, "Kiss me."  
  
Michael's hands slid into her hair and he kissed her mouth four times, speaking once between each kiss, "Shut ... up ... Maria."  
  
On his fourth and deepest kiss, all Maria could manage in answer was a throat murmur, "Mmmhhhm."  
  
 **DONE**


End file.
